Welt insole and process of making same



Ogt. 21 1924.

Filed May 9, 1923 Patented Oct. 21, 1924.

\ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS ELI IBEAUDIN, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR F ONE-HALF TO HOVIEY E. SLAYTON, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

WELT INSOLE AND PROCESS OF MAKING SAME.

e Application filed May 9,

ture of welt boots and shoes. Preferably I utilize m invention in connection with a gemmed welt innersole, although it is not limited solely to this field. Preferably, .also, I have designed my present innersole, and the novel method of making same, for

special use with the novel boot or shoe illustrated, described, and claimed in the co-. application of Alexander Lind-' pendin gren, er. No. 630,487, filed April 7, 1923, wherein it is desirable to have the shank and heel portion of the innersole free to afl'ord means for adjusting the height of the tread surface of the insole.

In the making of welt shoes of the type shown in said Lindgren .patent application, so

a relatively heavy grade of leather insole so that the heel and shank portion could be split, thus forming two layers. This required the leather blank, to be of suflicient quality, as well as weight or irons, so that the split portion along the shank could be channelled, and the resulting channel flap or lip turned upwardly into a sewing rib, which p r e f e r a b l y was afterwards gemmed or reinforced by a canvas or te'xtile strip in any of several manners for this operation. Such prior methods necessarily resulted in an expensive insole, and my present invention aims to greatly simplify the formation of this type of insole and to enable relatively thin and inexpensive stock to be employed. In carrying out my invention, I am enabled to utilize a light weight, fairly thin insole member, of sufficient strength, grade and iron to be propit has been customary heretofore to utilize 1923. Serial N0. 687,840.

erly channelled for welt work, which insole, however, need only be of thickness and quality for channelling along the forepart, the shank and heel part being even of less thickness if desired, or poorer grade, thus enabling stock to be used which has brands, cuts, etc., which would be unsuited for channelling throughout the shank and heel. To the relatively thin leather blank thus secured, I apply a second shank and heel layer, beveling the same so that it can be cemented or otherwise secured to the first insole layer across the ball portion of the forepart adjacent the forward end of the shank. This second layer is of relatively short stock and' can be made from scraps or portions which 1 would otherwise be waste leather. By a simple skiving action across the forepart and cementing same to the lower layer blank, I thus provide an insole which would be too light to split and channel, but which thus made by my present process, produces an insole having a double layer from the forepart to the heel, which latter is of sufficient quality and thickness to take the channeling. By the resulting gemming action the two layers are still further firmly united, and the resulting inseaming operation gives all the strength that is desired or required in an insole of this kind. Thus I roduce a firm insole structure with .a relatively thickened shank and heel portion, with the latter preferably in two layers, although it could be united if desired, and particularly when the insole thus made is gemmed. I 86 have provided from thin inexpensive and partly waste stock, a welt insole of excellent serviceability and one which will take the place of an insole of substantially double thickness and vastly increased cost.

Referring to the drawings, illustrating a. preferred embodiment of my invention,

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my novel insole made by the process I have discovered;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the complete in-, 95 sole; and

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view on the line 33 of Fig. I.

As shown in the' drawings, the bottom layer or insole blank 1 preferably extends 100 for the entire length of the completed insole, from toe to heel, thus being formed from relatively thin stock, yet having a thickness capable to receive a channeling machine so that a sewing rib can be channeled and formed. The second layer 2 extends from the heel end to the forepart,

having its forward surface skived or beveled along the dotted lines 3 and 4 of Fig. 1, being also shown at .5 and 6 in Figs. 2 and 3. The insole blank 2 being cut preferably on a bevel as shown and then skived to give a substantial overlap and surface to cement to the top portion of the blank 1, is applied in position and the entire innersole with the two layers from the forepart to the heel are rounded or trimmed.v With the insole thus made it is then put through the channeling operation which cuts and forms the outer and preferably also the inner channels 8 and 9, the resulting layers forming the sewing rib 10. Thereupon the insole is preferably gemmed by adding the canvas reinforcement '12, with its marginal portion 1a also turned up into contact with the rib 10 and cemented throughout, thus giving a firm, strong, sewing rib constituting the combined layers 10 and 14:.-

By my invention, I believe that I have devised a novel process for making a welt insole from thin sheet stock, and by utilizing a relatively short length, particularly for the second layer 2, this insole being suitable for use in any type of shoe so long as the forepart of the layer 1 is sulliciently thick for channelling and the shank portion of the second layer 2 is also sufficiently thick for channeling. The shank and heel portion of the bottom layer 1 not requiring to be channeled may thus be of any thin leather or even of stock which would otherwise be unsuitable for channeling or use as a welt insole, owing to defects in the leather, brands, cuts or the like. It will be understood that in the completed shoe the surface 15 of the bottom layer 1 is the tread surface of my insole in the completed shoe, thereby presenting the appearagte, complete and desirable qualities of a standard and expensive type of welt insole. Any inaccuracy due to the channeling of the thin portions between the lines 3'and 4, viz, the beveled surface 5 and 6 of the second layer 2, is furthermore so strengthened, reinforced and unified by the complete flange 14 of the textile layer 12 as to thus insure a good firm inseaming rib, despite the fact that the channel is run from the layer 1 through the beveled edge of the layer 2 as above explained.

I am advised that this process is a distinct novelty in this art of making welt insoles, and therefore wish to claim the same broadly. Furthermore, I am enabled to produce by my process a completed welt innersole from relatively thin layers, which is equivalent in usefulness to an insole blank of double thickness to that of the layers I use, thus saving the splitting from heel forwardly, which is required in the making of certain special kinds of shoes, such for example as that shown in the said Lindgren case, above mentioned, and equivalent structures. Being advised that my resulting welt insole is also a distinct novelty in this art I wish to claim the same broadly herein.

It will be appreciated that I have devised; a simple, economical method of producing a welt innersole wherein I can utilize relatively thin stock, resulting in the formation of a composite laminated innersole with the leather surface extending from toe to heel as the tread surface in the shoe and with the canvas reinforcing layer presenting a continuous stitch receiving surface and thus both uniting and strengthening the sewing 1 ribs formed from the two layers, as well as giving the insole a special shank adjusting feature by having the shank and heel part of one layer free of attachment from the other.

My invention is further described and defined in the form of claims as follows:

1. The improvement in the art of making welt innersoles for boots and shoes, which. consists in utilizing a relatively thin leather blank having sufficient thickness around the forepart to carry the channeling operation, securing to the first blank a second layer extending from the forepart adjacent the shank to the heel, said second layer having a thickness sufficient to carry the channeling operation, and thereupon subjecting the two layers thus secured together to the channel cutting operation.

2-. The improvement in the art of makin welt innersoles for boots and shoes, whicfi consists in'utilizing a relatively thin leather blank having sufficient thickness around the forepart to carry the channeling operation, securing to the first blank a second layer extending from the forepart adjacent the shank to the heel, said second layer having a thickness sufficient to carry the channeling operation, and thereupon subjecting the two layers thus secured together to the channel cutting operation, and thereupon applying a reinforcing textile layer, extending over both the second layer from the shank rearwardly and the first layer from the shank forwardly.

3. The improved process of making a welt innersole having a single layer of leather along the forepart and a second layer from the forepart along the shank and heel, said second layer being free of attachment to the first layer at the shank and heel portions, which consists in beveling the second layer at its forward portion, cementing the same on the surface of the first layer, channeling both said layers, turning up said channels,

layers into a sewing rib, and continuously around the sewing-rib so channeled.

4. As an article of manufacture, a prepared welt insole, having a leather blank extending continuously for the insole tread surface, a

second layer attached to said first blank adjacent the forepart and shank, and a sewing rib formed on both said layers, together with a textile reinforcing material secured to said two blanks and entering into' the sewing 10 rib.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

LOUIS ELI BEAUDIN. 

